Valentin Bosioc
Disclaimer: this article serves as a general guideline about personal injury at work. If you have any questions, seek the services of a personal injury attorney.
Every business owner, employer, supervisor, and manager should provide employees with a working environment that’s safe. However, there are people who neglect this responsibility. As a consequence, their employees are unsafe at work.
If you are injured or worse while on the job, don’t forget that you’re entitled to compensation for your damages and losses. Don’t be frightened to fight for your rights; the law is on your side. If you’re undecided on which steps you need to take legally, read on and we’ll provide a general guide for when you’ve had a personal injury at work.
Consult a Lawyer Immediately
The very best thing that you can do to help yourself if you get injured at work is to consult a lawyer immediately. If you have a lawyer, he/she will be able to help you decide what the steps that you can take are. Make sure that your lawyer is experienced in dealing with personal injury cases.
When you finally get to talk to a lawyer, be sure that you’re always truthful. And if you already have documents pertaining to the case, make sure that your lawyer or his/her staff get copies.
A lawyer such as ones here is very helpful to you when dealing with process of personal injury on the job.
See a Doctor Immediately After the Injury
Even if you don’t see any sign of injury right after your accident, go to the nearest hospital immediately. Make sure that a doctor sees you, and assesses the extent of the damages. You may not feel anything at the moment, but you may have an underlying injury that doesn’t immediately show.
A doctor can help you significantly when you plan to file a lawsuit and when you’re going to ask for compensation. He/she can help you prove that your injury is from the accident at work.
Also, be sure that you keep every document or item that your doctor gives you.
Adhere to All the Doctor’s Instructions
You should always follow your doctor’s every instruction because, in the long run, your disobedience to his or her directions will probably hurt your case. If anyone from the other side gets ahold of the information that you deviated from your treatment, they’ll be able to use this against you.
Your employer or your employer’s insurance company may claim that you provoked your injury intentionally, and this can result in the decrease of your compensation or dismissal of your claim.
Gather As Much Evidence As You Can
As soon as you can, gather pieces of evidence that prove that your injury came from the accident at your work. You should be quick in doing this, as your employer may cover his or her tracks or fix the scene of the accident just to prove that your claim is wrong.
You should:
- Take pictures of the area of the accident
- Take photos of your injuries
- Gather video footage of the accident
- Gather any incident reports of the accident
These types of evidence can help you clear things up in case any discrepancies arise.
Fully Document the Accident
Your memory will fade as time goes by, so right after the accident, if you’re able, be sure to write things down. Writing down the things that you remember will help you establish that the one who’s liable for your accident is your employer.
You should also ensure that you will down the things that could have contributed to you getting injured. Be sure that you write down include:
- Things that your employer may or may not have done to prevent the accident
- Conditions of the scene of the accident
- Time and date the accident occurred
- Reasons that you were at the scene of the incident
- Things that you were doing before, during, and after your accident
If you write all of these down immediately, this can help you ensure that everything is fresh in your mind.
Look for Any Possible Witnesses
You should look for possible witnesses immediately. Just like you, the memory of these witnesses may fade over time, so look for them immediately. When you find a witness, make sure to take down notes of their:
- Accounts of the accident
- Contact information
- Responsibilities at work
Working can be hard, but getting injured at work is harder. Your injury does not only affect you, but also the people around you. It can be challenging to go through the process of claiming for your compensation and recovery when you’ve been injured. But you should remember that the law is on your side, and you can fight for the very best treatment possible.
If the insurance company denies your claim for compensation, you’re not alone. Knowing what the things you can do legally, alone or together with your lawyer, will help you achieve a good outcome.
Dianna Charles
Dianna Charles is a promising young law enthusiast that hopes to bring her youthful spirit in her field. She tries to add a refreshing modern take to topics on the legal world that people can learn from. Dianna enjoys her free time with friends and family, and loves to cook for them.
